First Light
by archangelBBQ
Summary: The day after a case. After everyone else has gone home, Masako, Mai and Naru spend one more day at the resort on the edge of the lake. For shsl-shipper-gamer-fangirl as part of the 2018 tumblr ghost hunt exchange. Masako-centric.
1. Chapter 1

Written as part of the 2018 ghhq tumblr ghost hunt exchange for shsl-shipper-gamer-fangirl

The prompt was Masako/Naru, Masako/Mai besties, Mai/Gene, fluff. (did I succeed? please feel free to advise.)

* * *

 _First Light_

\- 1 -

Masako sat on the edge of the veranda, eyes trained toward the horizon.

In the early hours of the morning, the air was still and quiet but for the quiet, merry chattering of birds in the garden below the veranda. Beyond the garden, an empty path and then a lake: the surface absolutely still but for a family of early-rising ducks, ripples forming behind them as they swam lazily close to the shore. It was hard to reconcile this serenity with the throngs of people, cheering as they watched the fireworks over the water the night before. Hard to reconcile this serenity with the final confrontation of the ghost which had been lurking in the basement of this hotel until only a few hours ago.

But she turns her mind away from the case, instead focusing on the vista in front of her. It was amazing how early dawn came here, she couldn't help but marvel. Here it was, only just after four o'clock in the morning, but the light was creeping over the distant hills beyond the lake, turning the smooth surface of the water into a pale blue mirror. There were low-hanging clouds in the distance, obscuring where the dark hills beyond the lake met the water, but the sky above was lightening, wisps of pale yellow and pink clouds drifting above and reflecting in the water as day approached.

Masako tipped her head back and lifted her gaze, the pale horizon in front of her darkening to a deep muted blue. It was just dark enough that above she could see one single, shining star.

Everyone else was still in bed, but she hadn't been able to sleep and had gotten up as soon as she saw the first light in the sky. It wasn't as though she wasn't tired—she could feel the exhaustion to her very bones, the ache of the stress that had accumulated during the last few days of the case—but right now her mind was clear and alert and trying to run away from her. Right now what she needed most was calm, not rest. After all, now that the case was over they'd be heading back to Tokyo later today, and she could sleep on the train.

She heard footsteps behind her and she tensed without turning, wondering if she would be seen. There were others staying at this hotel, of course, in which case she knew she would be ignored. But if it was Ayako she would probably reprimand her for being up so early; Takigawa would probably shout out some loud greeting through the screen that would surely disturb anyone else this side of the building. But the footsteps were too light for either of them, in which case if it was a member of SPR it could be John or Lin, possibly even Yasuhara. The former might come over and ask if she was alright, Yasuhara might tease her for being up and Lin would keep his distance. It certainly couldn't be Mai, as she would still be sleeping. A small smile twitched on Masako's lips. Thank goodness the case was over and Mai could finally sleep soundly without nightmares.

The door slid open and shut behind her, footsteps approaching, slowly but without hesitation. To her surprise it was Oliver who sat down silently next to her, folding his hands in his lap as he lifted his head toward the lightening sky.

Neither of them spoke for some time. It was a comfortable silence between them and Masako had no compulsion to break it, so instead they both watched the sky brighten in front of them, listened to the quiet birds singing in the garden of pink and purple lupins, hydrangeas and lavender below, relishing the cool, fresh breeze that came up off the lake and ghosted over their faces.

To her surprise, it was he who broke the silence. "Couldn't sleep?" he asked, glancing sideways toward her without turning his head.

Masako nodded, her gaze following a bird upwards as it flew above them and landed on the roof behind them. "Just restless, I think."

He nodded. He understood completely, but she could see he was still watching her from the corner of his eyes. Not worry, exactly, or even concern. Just—watching. Knowing she was but still making sure she was okay.

Sitting side by side in silence, her mind drifted back to the first time they had dinner together. How stiffly he had sat across from her, unsure why she had asked him to join her, unable to comprehend what she wanted. If she was completely honest with herself she would admit she'd been nothing but selfish. How she only used her knowledge of his true identity to her own advantage. She wanted him to see _her_ , how she had this ridiculous notion her crush might rub off on him and blossom into young love. Looking back, she was ashamed how foolish she'd been. It was never going to happen. Not like that.

But she was glad she'd willed up the courage to ask him for dinner that first time, no matter her reasons, because over time, as they talked, he began to relax with her and would answer her questions. She could ask him about England, about his research there, about his future. Their conversations remained mostly one-sided, but she wanted to think he enjoyed their meetings. After all, wasn't it lonely, all by himself, unable to say who he really was? He would never admit to it, but she wanted to give him the chance to be himself, if he wanted it. And he'd never turned her down, any time she asked. At first she'd wondered if she'd held something over him—only later to realise it didn't even _matter_ if she knew who he was. What would he really care if she threatened to tell the others, the media or the press? No, he did not acquiesce to their meetings on that account. That was not the reason.

The passage of time had changed their relationship, had changed everything. They had met for dinner and the occasional cup of tea in the months that he had the office open under the pseudonym of Shibuya Kazuya, before it was generally known among the staff that the name was just an alias of Oliver Davis. But then he'd found his brother's body and the truth of his identity came out. She hadn't asked him for dinner, not since that time. He'd returned from England in October last year and there had been plenty of opportunities, but things had changed.

For one, she and Mai had started spending more time together, and this brought Masako to the office more than ever before. It was only natural they would become friends, especially after they came to the realisation they weren't—had never been—rivals, for who else could truly understand what they were going through? The two began to prepare for their entrance exams together and would meet in the cafe beneath the office for study sessions over tea. Masako would call in at the office from time to time, either to see Mai or to visit Oliver if he wasn't busy. Usually, it seemed, he had time enough to say hello, or to ask how she was doing, and allow her to enquire after his work and his health and his family.

Second of all, it seemed presumptuous. She was worried he would only agree to meet her outside of work to be polite. A kind, but patronising gesture when he would rather be reading, reviewing case notes or working on his next paper. But most of all she was terrified he was going to turn her down. That he wouldn't pretend and would simply decline. Because if it came to that she would have to admit he would never return her feelings. That she was just a silly little girl and he, the great Dr Oliver Davis, had no interest in her.

Masako's train of thought was interrupted when Oliver rose to his feet, still gazing out toward the lake. She thought he might say he was going to go back inside, to advise her to do the same. But when he turned toward her he did something very unexpected indeed and held his hand out toward her, hesitantly, but proffering his hand all the same.

"I'm going to walk along the lake. Would you like to join me?"

"Not going back to sleep?" Masako asked, eyebrow raised. "There's still hours until breakfast."

He tipped his head, conceding her point. "Only just. I think breakfast begins at six thirty." The smile that had brightened his eyes finally reached his mouth, lifting the corners. "Besides, I don't imagine I would be able to fall back asleep at this point and it seems silly to even try." He met her gaze, his dark eyes warm. "And it is a beautiful morning. I would like to see the sunrise."

Perhaps he had only asked her to be polite, Masako realised as she reached forward to take his hand. The brilliant Oliver Davis who may not like to but certainly _could_ read people. There was no doubt in her mind that he was clever enough to understand her feelings for him. But perhaps that was presumptuous as well, perhaps he was aware of this. After all, it was the gesture that had meaning. That he had asked at all, and the way he had offered his hand.

"I would like that," she replied, allowing him to help her to her feet, down the veranda and into the garden below, into the brightening morning light.

...


	2. Chapter 2

\- 2 -

By some strange coincidence and no small amount of bad luck, the daily express train from Hakodate to Tokyo had been nearly completely booked out in advance. There were only five unreserved seats in the cabin and no guarantee there would be space in the luggage car to transport the equipment. Oliver broke the news to the team after breakfast when everyone assembled in the lobby with their packed luggage, ready to leave for the local station to meet the connecting train. The train was pre-booked. There weren't enough seats for all of them.

Ayako opened her mouth in an indignant complaint, but Oliver held up his hand and continued before she could even begin. "Of course, Lin and I will stay with the equipment and take the train tomorrow. Only one other person needs to stay, and if no one can we can always consider arranging a flight as a possibility—"

"I'll stay," Masako offered, without even thinking. It must have surprised the others because six sets of eyes widened and looked her way. Even Oliver tilted his head in a way that expressed he hadn't anticipated her response.

"I'll stay too," Mai chirped immediately. "You'll need someone to help with the equipment, Naru. And it's summer break anyway."

"Very well," Oliver agreed. "That's easy enough. The four of us will stay." He turned toward Mai and Masako then. "I've already spoken with the manager of the hotel. You can keep the room you were using for one more night."

"Good thing I didn't hand in the key yet," Mai laughed ruefully, picking up her duffel bag. "I guess we'd better take our luggage back upstairs." She reached to take the handle of Masako's roller suitcase, but Masako took it.

"I'll go with you." She said, and followed her to the elevator.

The doors closed, leaving the two of them alone. The elevator surged gently upwards and Masako spoke. "Thank you for staying with me," she said quietly. "It would have been.. a bit lonely all by myself."

"Aw shucks," Mai laughed, abashed, squeezing her arm. "I wanted to stay, anyway. There's no reason to rush back home. And maybe now we can have ourselves a proper holiday. We've been here, what, six days? And we haven't had a chance to relax and use the onsen! Just think how nice that will be."

The elevator doors opened with a _ping_ and Masako smiled as she followed Mai into the hall. "It does sound nice," she said agreeably.

"And just think, after dinner, we can actually go out and enjoy the fireworks! There's no way Naru can stop us from doing that." Mai pushed the door open of the room they had shared with Ayako the past few nights. It was only a six-mat tatami room and would feel much more spacious with just the two of them.

"Though, I bet he could try," Mai sighed. Dropping her bag on the floor, she folded her arms across her chest, pursing her lips in a sudden, severe expression. " _Mai, fireworks are nothing more than the combustion of chemicals compounds in rapid succession."_

Masako giggled, hiding her mouth behind her sleeve. She felt a little guilty for laughing, but she knew Mai's impersonation wasn't done out of malice, but friendly teasing. And the expression was spot-on, from the clipped tone and the way she narrowed her eyes, one just slightly more than the other, an eyebrow cocked. Oliver did seem to give Mai this look a lot.

" _You really ought to spend that time working on your studies and bettering yourself, and are you aware we will need to get up early tomorrow to pack up the equipment?_ "

"He wouldn't," Masako giggled helplessly, the effects of not sleeping the night before becoming apparent. It was funny, but it wasn't _that_ funny—not so funny she couldn't stop giggling.

Despite her mock expression of severity, Mai's eyes were shining. Her face broke into a laugh, unable to keep the straight face any longer. "Nah, even Naru wouldn't say that," she agreed, grinning. She put her arm through Masako's, leaning her head against her shoulder. "I'm glad we get to stay together, too," she added quietly, suddenly serious. "I thought this morning, if only we didn't have to go back to Tokyo today. So I was relieved, actually, when Naru said there wasn't room on the train."

Masako held her breath and Mai sighed, still holding onto her arm. The two stood at the window, looking out at the lake. The sun was already high, the water glimmering a pale steel blue.

"A couple months ago, Naru said that after a case, he thought if I stayed at the case location I might be able to still see Gene the next night. Something about residual spiritual energy, something about us tethering him here simply by thinking about him." She lifted her head and met Masako's gaze. "I just thought it would be nice. You know, to have a dream about him that wasn't trying to solve the case. Dreams of ghosts filled with longing and regret." Mai laughed, though the sound was forced. "I'm selfish. Sorry."

"No, you're not," Masako managed. There was a lump in her throat. "I understand." Or she thought she did, as best as anyone could. She knew she and Mai were different situations and it would be presumptuous to assume. Even if the person who held their hearts had the same face, that was as far as the similarities went.

Mai sighed and shook her head. "Anyway. I don't even know. It was only just an idea Naru had, he didn't know if it would even happen." She tugged on Masako's arm. "C'mon, let's head back downstairs. Bou-san said there's this bakery in town we should go to before they head out. I think they'll have a couple hours to kill before the train to Hakodate."

"Okay." Masako smiled. Perhaps Mai's greatest strength, or one of them: her unfailing optimism, and her ability to distract herself and others into pleasant thoughts or activities.

She followed her to the hall, into the elevator, and back down to the lobby where Oliver and Takigawa were having a conversation together, the former nodding thoughtfully as the latter made his case. Ayako was sitting on one of the plush chairs, talking on her mobile. Nearby at the front desk, John and Yasuhara were studying a brochure and Lin was discussing something with the hotel manager, who appeared to be drawing a map or giving directions to somewhere.

Takigawa raised his arm when he saw them coming, a big grin alighting his face as he called out to Mai. "Ready to go to the bakery? I hear their pastries are just to die for, girl! You too, Masako!"

His call rallied the troupes, as Ayako put down her phone and Yasuhara pulled John along by the arm. "Yeah, let's go!"

"You're all hungry after breakfast?" Oliver asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Aw, c'mon, Naru, breakfast was _hours_ ago already!" Mai protested.

"Not to mention we need something to eat on the train." Yasuhara winked. "Come on, guys, let's go."

Everyone ended up going along, even Lin. After they stored the luggage behind the front desk for those who would be leaving, they all left the hotel and began to walk. Takigawa promised it wasn't far, but they had been walking for fifteen minutes and hadn't made it yet. Surprisingly, Ayako didn't complain (and Mai whispered to her that good thing she was wearing flats, not heels, or they'd have turned back by now) and only Yasuhara teased the monk, asking if he really knew where they were going. But then they rounded a corner and there it was, sun shining on a small white-washed building just on the edge of town.

It was European-style bakery and cafe with the scent of coffee and cinnamon and some kind of spice Masako couldn't name filling the air as they opened the door. It was bright inside, sunlight streaming through the large plate glass windows. There were two people working behind the counter, a man grinding coffee beans and a woman setting a plate of cinnamon rolls out.

"Cardamom," the cheerful woman explained when she saw Masako and Mai quizzically sniffing the air. "Smells good, doesn't it? It's a magic spice, it always makes you happy. Here." And she gave them both a small piece of dough, dusted in sugar and spice. "Cinnamon and cardamom rolls, just out of the oven."

"Wow! Delicious! Isn't it, Masako?" Mai exclaimed, eyes wide. "Let's get that!"

"Sounds like that can't be beat!" Takigawa grinned. "I'll have a coffee and a cinnamon roll please."

"The same for me please," John said.

"Me too!"

Everyone ordered more or less the same and the eight of them sat on the veranda overlooking the lake in the distance. Masako hadn't realised how far they'd walked from the hotel, but with the lake as her reference point she could see they'd walked quite a ways.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" Takigawa murmured, stretching his arms out behind his head.

"Yeah," Ayako agreed.

"We're very fortunate." John said quietly.

Everyone was silent, seeming to be thinking the same thing. No one wanted to talk about the case they had just finished; it was still too soon. Even though the spirit hadn't been aggressive or violent in any way, he had suffered a lot and the case was emotionally draining, painful when they finally forced him to leave. Masako noticed Mai and Oliver had both tensed, the two of them having seen and experienced the worst of the case together. She placed her hand on top of Mai's gently and she could see Mai's whole body relax at the touch.

"Beautiful view, isn't it?" The man said as he came up behind them, holding a tray of coffee cups and plates of cinnamon rolls.

"Incredible," Takigawa agreed. "You're lucky to see this every day."

The man smiled, setting the plates and cups in front of them. "Yes, we're very lucky. Are you in the area for long?"

"Leaving today, unfortunately."

"Ah! What a shame. Back to Tokyo, I imagine."

"How did you know?" Takigawa laughed. Their conversation continued but Masako had stopped listening, staring out at the lake as she sipped her tea and took bites of the cinnamon roll. In the mid-morning light and from this distance the lake was blue, darker than the bright blue sky above. It was a very clear day without a cloud to be seen and the rising, asymmetrical shape of a volcanic mountain was visible in the distance. It had been so humid and hazy the whole week that they couldn't see it, but today it was a pale blue outline against the sky.

Her thoughts absently returned to Oliver and she wondered what he thought about as he looked at this vista now, or what had been on his mind that morning when they'd sat together. She assumed it must be the case. Now that it was over, he would begin on the reports he prepared, two versions: one of which would be sent to the cilent, the other to his father and the British Society for Psychic Research. If the case had a lot of down time Lin would have already begun analysing the data, but that hadn't been the case this week.

Her thoughts then drifted to Oliver's parents. She liked Martin and Luella quite a lot. Not counting the time they had been briefly introduced when they came to claim Gene's remains, she'd only had one proper meeting with his parents. They'd come to Japan to visit their son in February, and the three of them had joined herself and Mai in the cafe downstairs when they were supposed to be studying. His parents filled the ideal she'd always held, being kind and funny and patient. Masako wondered if they pressured him to return to England. They hadn't been able to hide the fact they missed him, but she also knew they respected his work and were tremendously proud of him.

Masako must have zoned out for a while, because when she became aware of the conversation around her again it was because the woman was clearing their empty plates and cups. She glanced toward Oliver, blushing when she met his eyes. She hoped he didn't know she had been thinking about him, but his face was blank and expressionless. He blinked slowly in recognition, seeming to only just realise she was meeting his gaze. He was tired, she realised—his face drawn and eyes without their usual glint. He turned his gaze then toward the woman who was collecting and stacking their plates.

Masako found she had been holding her breath and she exhaled slowly, suddenly exhilarated. He had been zoning out too, but he had been looking at _her_. She knew she shouldn't read too much into it— _couldn't_ read too much into it—but all the same she found herself extremely happy about it. Whatever the reason, she had been the one he had been watching. No one else and not even the beautiful scenery in front of them. None of the others seemed to have noticed and this pleased her. It would be her own secret to treasure.

"I understand it's your last day here? I do hope you've enjoyed it," the woman was saying, speaking to Takigawa again as the amicable leader of the group.

"Yes, well actually, not _all_ of us are heading back, because these four are staying one more night," Takigawa said, indicating with his thumb toward where Lin, Oliver, Mai and herself were sitting. "But the rest of us are heading home."

"Is that right? Well then you're quite lucky, it's a full moon tonight. It will be quite a beautiful sight as it rises over the lake." She smiled warmly at them. "Please be sure to enjoy it."

"Thank you, we will." Oliver rose to his feet, signaling it was time for them to leave. The blankness was gone from his face had returned to normal. "We'd better go, Takigawa. Wouldn't want you to miss your train."

"And I want to get back to the hotel," Mai told Masako, a wry grin forming on her lips. "Do you think it's too early to use the onsen?"

"No," Masako laughed, "I think it'll be fine." Maybe it was the cardamom, she thought. Because she couldn't remember the last time she felt this happy, just to be together with her friends. To be together with Mai, to be close to Oliver. And she followed her friends out of the cafe and into the bright sunlight, the group walking together as they made their way back toward the town.


	3. Chapter 3

\- 3 -

Masako crashed by eleven o'clock. After they returned from the bakery and saw the others off she had meant to only lie down for an hour before lunch, but when she awoke the clock read quarter to six. She sat up with a start, relaxing when she saw Mai sleeping on the futon next to her own. Mai's face was one of pure contentment, perfectly relaxed with just a hint of a smile on her lips, like she was having a pleasant dream. Masako was about to reach over and wake her when Mai's features softened even more, smiling and whispering " _Gene."_

Masako pulled back, embarrassed. Partly that she hadn't even thought about how Mai would not want to be woken, but mostly she was embarrassed to see Mai's feelings bare for her to witness. Mai had never been secretive about her feelings for Oliver's brother. Once she had come to terms with them herself, Masako had been the first person Mai had confided in, but it was too private for her to witness, even if it was just a dream. Just a dream—what did that mean, anyway? Masako knew Mai's affection for Gene was real. Even if their meetings couldn't be in the corporeal realm didn't make them any less so.

Instead of waking her, then, Masako rose and tiptoed out of the room, checking her appearance in the mirror before she went. She headed down to the hotel lobby, suddenly disoriented as the doors opened up to a busy evening in a popular hotel in the height of summer. It was loud with people milling about everywhere: walking with their luggage, sitting and chatting in the lounge area, checking out the souvenirs on display. There were a number of foreign tourists in the throngs, and Masako suddenly felt dizzy at the cacophony of Japanese and so many other languages jumbled together.

She made her way past some French backpackers and a tour guide holding up a flag and issuing instructions to a group in Mandarin. She thought about making her way to the cafe kiosk and ordering a cup of tea, but she remembered she didn't have any money with her. Instead, she made her way to the veranda, stepping outside

It was quieter on the veranda and Masako walked to stand by the railing, nearby where she had sat only that morning. The sky was still bright daytime blue, but over the past week she'd learned dusk settled quickly in this mountain valley. Soon the sky would turn into a pale violet, the water of the lake deepening its blue. The sky was hazy again and the mountain on the other side had once more disappeared into the great expanse of the sky.

She wondered what the others had gotten up to during the day. She'd gone to the room to rest alone, but it wouldn't surprise her if Mai had gone back to nap after lunch. She may have even returned for another soak in the onsen. As for Oliver and Lin, she supposed they might start on their respective case reports, the sort of thing they would do back in the office. Neither were one to squander time which could be spent working: Oliver by nature and Lin by necessity in his role at SPR.

Gazing out toward the lake, she couldn't help but wonder if Naru's hypothesis was correct. Did Mai simply have a dream of Gene or was it a _dream_ —the distinction being her crossing to that in-between land between the living and the dead, him waking from the slumber which usually held him. If Gene had just been present for the case, were Mai's thoughts enough to keep him nearby? Not to mention he was probably on Oliver's mind as well. There were several times during the case she saw him gazing absently out the window toward the lake, but he would shake his head and say it was nothing whenever anyone asked what was the matter. It didn't seem to bother him, exactly—but he kept returning to it, contemplating it.

Masako was so preoccupied in her thoughts she didn't notice the person come up beside her until he was right at her side. She started as he appeared, then smiled and dipped her head in greeting.

"Feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you. I didn't mean to sleep so long," she apologised, blushing.

Oliver shook his head and turned his gaze forward. "Mai was going to wake you, but I asked her not to."

"When was that?"

"Shortly after lunch." He regarded her for a moment before speaking. "You must be hungry. Shall we find some dinner?"

"What about the others?" Even as she asked this, Masako berated herself. Why was she objecting, looking for excuses when what she wanted the most was just to sit down with him? When he was here asking her for the thing she was too afraid to ask _him_ for?

"Lin went out for sightseeing and will, I expect, find his own dinner—"

"Lin did?" She couldn't help but interrupt, surprised. She remembered the hotel manager that morning suggesting the ropeway to the rim of a nearby volcano and the hike around the caldera if they wanted some exercise. She hadn't paid it much thought at the time, but now she remembered Lin asking him questions about it, and how he had been getting directions. "He went to that volcano?"

A smile twitched at his lips. "Does that surprise you?"

"A little bit." Masako's ears felt hot.

"And I don't know where Mai is," he continued. "She expressed interest to go with Lin to the visitor's centre, but I imagine she must have returned by now."

"Ah—yes. She was resting when I woke up."

The grin widened—only slightly—on his lips. "She would be cross if we ate without her," he agreed. Then he lifted an eyebrow. "Perhaps just a cup of tea and something to tide you over?"

Masako smiled shyly. "That sounds lovely."

They left the hotel to get away from the noise of the main street, with tour buses pulling up at the different hotels and the groups of people clambering out of them. From there they walked to a small establishment, just down the road and up an alley, where they both ordered tea and Masako a piece of shortbread. Despite not having eaten since breakfast she wasn't particularly hungry, but her mouth began to water when they were served and the aroma of warm, buttery shortbread together with the comforting scent of green tea wafted toward her.

"I don't think I've asked you recently about your filming schedule," Oliver said, taking a sip from his teacup. "You've been busy of late with your schoolwork, it seems. Is it the same during your summer holidays?"

A warm flush of pride coursed through her that he had noticed. He would have to keep track of her tv program to some extent to know when she had breaks in her filming. "Yes, I've been trying to focus on my school work. Even though we're on break for the next month, I only have one filming session scheduled."

He was watching her and even though he said nothing, she felt encouraged to elaborate. "It's been nice, to be honest, to have a break," she confessed, unable to hold his gaze and instead looked at her tea.

"What will you do when you go to university?"

She hesitated, having asked herself that very question a thousand times and still unable to come up with a satisfactory answer. "I don't know," she admitted. "Keep on going as usual or take a break from it, or stop completely. I've thought about it a lot but I still don't know."

A small smile lifted his lips. "You still have time to decide."

"Yes," she nodded thoughtfully. "I'd like to stop, I think, before it comes to the point where they cancel my show. I'm sure it would happen eventually."

He tilted his head. "You think they'll cancel your show? But you're very popular."

She wasn't sure if that was a compliment, but there was no edge to his voice, nothing to suggest he didn't approve of her chosen vocation. Not the thinly-veiled derision she could always detect in Ayako's voice when her show came up, or the dubious lift of Takigawa's eyebrows that she chose to be on television. Or even the blank, incomprehensible stare she sometimes got from Yasuhara. She might have expected that from Oliver.

"Nothing can go on forever. And I'd like to stop when I'm ahead." She swirled the tea in the cup, watching the sediment in the bottom as it circled. "I don't want to be in one of those magazines, the unflattering type that would only announce when the show was cancelled after poor ratings or when something bad happens. If that was the case, I'd rather just disappear from the media before it happened."

He chuckled lightly, the sound surprising her. "I can understand that," he admitted quietly.

They drank their tea and she ate the shortbread, their conversation continuing but to somewhat easier, banal topics. When her classes resumed after the summer break (three weeks from now), when she would take her first university entrance exams (in September), if he had any new cases or appointments with prospective clients (two and three respectively; the two cases would both in Yokohama by coincidence, the prospective clients all had the usual enquiries and only their interview would tell if they would become proper cases.)

Oliver paid the bill after they had finished. They left the shop and as they were walking down the alley, restaurants lighting up and the red lanterns of the izakaya establishments turning on, Masako realised Oliver had slowed and was no longer walking next to her. She stopped and turned, looking back toward him where he had held back, a couple paces behind. He was gazing at her with a curious expression on his face; it was impossible to decipher what was going on behind those dark eyes.

Masako did not know how long they stood there, facing each other in the alleyway. It could not have been that long, and yet time seemed to stretch and slow. He cleared his throat and spoke.

"I am not terribly good at making conversation," Oliver started, hesitating. "But I would like to have more opportunities for us to talk. Like today. If that suits you."

"I would love to," Masako said honestly, automatically. Then, feeling embarrassed that she may have sounded too eager, she added. "If you think I wouldn't be too boring."

"Quite the opposite, actually." His eyes softened as he gazed at her and a flush of happiness coursed through her body at what she could tell was an honest reply. Then a grin twitched at his lips. "I suppose we'd better get back. Mai will be waiting for us and for her dinner."

Masako couldn't help but laugh. And indeed she was: Mai was waiting for them in the hotel lobby, stamping her foot at the sight of them, arms folded across her chest in a mock pout. "Where _were_ you? It's past dinnertime!" But her eyes were bright and shining with happiness. It must have been a good dream if she was in such high spirits, that much was clear.

The three had dinner together at the hotel restaurant, Mai making most of the conversation. She was in an extremely good mood and she kept looking away and smiling abashedly to herself. After dinner the three went back out to the veranda. As the sun sun went down a chill descended into the valley, an evening breeze blowing cool air up from the surface of the lake. Clusters of people were beginning to congregate by the water and the three of them watched them with detached interest, quiet again.

Mai was already yawning before the fireworks started, but she clapped her hands with excitement when they could tell they were about to begin. And then the spectacle: the bright bursts of light: white, blue, green, reds and oranges—shimmering in the sky and on the water, colours brightly reflected on the calm surface of the lake . The cheers from the crowd below, echoing each boom and crackle, _oohs_ and _aahs_ accompanying each burst and sparkle. It was a short display and it may have only been the combustion of chemicals compounds in rapid succession, but everyone applauded loudly when it had finished. Mai cheered and even Oliver clapped in a rare moment of participation with the crowd.

Mai excused herself as her yawns becoming more and more frequent. "I'm going to take a bath and go to bed. You're probably not tired since you slept all afternoon, but don't stay up too late," she said, whispering the latter and winking at Masako when Oliver's back was turned. "Goodnight!" She then said to both of them, and slipped away with the rest of the retreating crowd.

Masako and Oliver stood together in silence for some time. "What about you?" He finally asked. "Shall we go inside?"

"Well—I thought I would watch the moonrise," Masako said, hesitating. "Perhaps you'd like to stay to see it?"

"I would like that." There was a small smile on his face as he spoke.

Most of the crowds had dissipated, gone back into the hotel or left to find late dinners. Masako left the veranda and walked down to the lake, Oliver one step behind her. When they stood at the water's edge she could see where the moon was about to rise. The sky glowed white above the dark outline of the mountain, the same spot where they had seen the sun rise that morning.

They watched the moon rise, the bright sliver of light peeking from behind the mountain, incremental, imperceptible and yet if she blinked Masako could see the moon was higher than it was before. First one quarter, then halfway. Masako wondered if Mai would dream about Gene again tonight. She hoped she would. Mai deserved every moment of happiness her dreams could bring her. She was lucky, lucky to have someone to love, lucky that Gene returned her love. She knew he must.

Three quarters. And then the full moon was completely visible: a perfectly round, glowing pearly white rising in the deep blue sky above the mountain. A sudden gust of wind blew though the valley, cold air swept up from the lake and Masako shivered, holding her arms together. Even though she'd seen what she wanted to see, she wasn't ready to go inside just yet. And then she felt his hand on her shoulder, tentatively, placing his jacket around her to keep the chill at bay.

"Oh—Oliver—" she didn't know what to say, didn't know what to make of the gesture. "You'll be cold, we can go inside—"

"I'm fine," he said instead. When she met his gaze his eyes were so dark they were almost black, his skin pale in the light of the full moon. "Are you warm enough?"

"I—yes," she said, blushing.

"Good." He looked back up at the moon, features relaxing. Masako followed his gaze and stared at the bright white of the moon, shining in the sky.

They were _both_ lucky, Masako thought, a smile spreading on her lips and a deep contentment warming her against the night's chill. The full moon rising, shining bright in the dark sky felt like a promise: a promise of new beginnings, of a day coming to a close only to begin again tomorrow. She didn't know what was going to happen next, didn't know what tomorrow would bring. But it felt like her own dream was just beginning, and she couldn't wait for it to continue.

 _\- end -_

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hello~~ thank you so much for reading!

I had a lot of trouble writing this, actually – fluff, apparently, is not my forte. Something else entirely initially came out of the prompt, however was not deemed fluffy enough and so I set it aside. I'm currently working on finishing that story and hope to be posting soon. So if you want more Masako-centred stories … stay tuned ;)


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